


Quick Thinking

by fio



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, Undercover Missions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-18
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-11-02 08:35:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10940838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fio/pseuds/fio
Summary: About to be caught somewhere they're not supposed to be, Keith comes up with an idea to help him hide with Shiro in plain sight.





	Quick Thinking

**Author's Note:**

> Written last year for the INFINITE Sheith charity zine.

"I think we're in trouble."

Keith looked from the tiny storage device containing ship schematics held between Shiro's fingers to the only exit with the trained calm of someone who was used to worrying about being caught somewhere he shouldn't be. The pair of voices and footsteps approaching warned that they were about to have company in less than a minute, which gave them very little time to come up with a way to not be suspicious despite being in an off-limits room full of several high-profile alien engineers' luggage.

He looked back to Shiro, still searching for another way out and finding no luck, and watched him bite his lip.

"I have an idea," Keith said, eyes stuck on Shiro's mouth. It was a little embarrassing but better than nothing. Shiro's eyes snapped to him instantly, ready for any option that was not getting caught, and Keith moved with sudden courage, grabbing Shiro by the elbow and pulling him as he stepped backwards until his own back hit the wall and Shiro was now crowding him up against it.

"Uh. Keith? They might not see you at first but this won't get us—"

"Kiss me," Keith interrupted.

Shiro froze as Keith began to make himself look more disheveled, his face going a shade of pink Keith hadn't seen in quite some time. But his surprise quickly faded as he realized Keith's plan, watching Keith tug his jacket off his shoulders until it was hanging at his elbows before pulling Shiro's shirt untucked. Shiro had always been good at figuring out what Keith meant from what little he offered, something very few others bothered even trying to do.

"Hide this," Shiro said, handing off the device. Keith slipped it into the right sleeve of his jacket and Shiro leaned in, hesitating for only a second before moving one hand to Keith's hair to mess it up and the other hooking fingers in his belt loop as it settled against his hip. The footsteps were almost at the door and Keith lifted his left arm to drape over Shiro's shoulder while his right hand slid underneath Shiro's shirt just far enough to touch at his skin.

"We really have to sell this," Keith whispered, voices outside loud enough that they'd be found in the next few seconds, "but I'm not a very good actor."

There was a flash of a smile on Shiro's face before he closed the distance and kissed Keith hard, both of them doing their best to make as much noise as possible as he pushed Keith up against the wall.

Keith hadn't been lying—he was terrible at pretending at anything, be it faking politeness to impress potential foster parents or modesty to jealous seniors who wanted him to ease their egos after obliterating their records. But there was no need for faking or lying about anything when he was with Shiro. The disappointed sound Keith made was embarrassingly genuine when Shiro pulled away from him as a voice from the door asked, "What are you doing in here?"

Shiro rubbed gloved fingers over his mouth, doing his best to look suitably sheepish, and shrugged a little at the two guards in the doorway with a chuckle. They'd only kissed for a few moments but Keith felt wobbly on his feet as if they'd been there for hours. One of the aliens staring at them noticed and hid a laugh behind its tentacle.

"This wing is off-limit to guests for all... _activities_ ," the first voice said, coughing awkwardly over the last word. "We're going to escort you back to the main area."

The upside-down eggplant of a creature took a step back, indicating that the two of them were to leave the room immediately. Keith felt like he might still need a few moments to rebalance but Shiro took his right hand in his left and twined their fingers together and instantly Keith remembered their mission, focus steadying his legs. He tugged his jacket back over his shoulder and let the small storage device slip down his sleeve, past his cuff and into the the pocket of their palms. Shiro squeezed Keith's hand to keep it hidden as he pulled them both forward and flashed him a bright smile.

Whether it was for a job well done or something more, Keith didn't know.

—

Gathered together, the paladins listened to Coran and Allura break down the Galran ship schematics Shiro and Keith had recovered. They were all to memorize the significant details, sure to come in handy for a team who had a habit of finding themselves stuck onboard the enemy's warships without their magical space lions to get them out of there.

Across the room, Pidge's staring was intense enough that Keith felt something close to nervousness despite how hard it usually was for someone's attention to ruffle his feathers. It didn't help that since returning from their mission a few hours ago, Keith and Shiro hadn't gotten a chance to talk privately, so he actually felt self-conscious for once. He had a feeling most of the crew had noticed something off and wasn't sure what he was supposed to say when one of them finally got nosy enough to ask him about it.

"So," Hunk started in his best fake-casual whisper once the debrief was over, startling Keith bad enough he nearly went for his knife out of instinct. He stayed tense, arms folded tightly across his chest, but gave Hunk his attention. "What's the deal with you and Shiro?"

"We don't have a 'deal,'" Keith said flatly. He stole a glance in Shiro's direction and found Pidge nudging at his side with her elbow while he looked uncomfortable. She caught Keith looking and grinned and he quickly turned his eyes away.

"Uh, no way, dude, there is _totally_ a deal," Hunk said with the confidence of someone far more well-versed in these things than Keith could ever hope to be. "You're the only two on this ship who've never had serious friction until now. You're like, our rock."

Keith raised an eyebrow. "We're like Shay?"

"No, no, I mean, you're like the gooey marshmallows holding this s'more together. I'm the chocolate, Lance and Pidge are the graham crackers."

"What's a s'more?" Keith asked with a frown. He didn't like marshmallows.

Hunk looked devastated. "I don't know what's more upsetting, that you and Shiro are fighting or that your dessert knowledge is so criminally lacking."

"We aren't fighting. I think we're just—"

"A little preoccupied," Shiro provided from Keith's other side. Keith's head whipped around and he felt his heartbeat jump up, his cheeks starting to burn at the soft smile Shiro offered. "Keith, a minute?"

He nodded and followed after Shiro, walking them out of the bridge, several pairs of eyes trying to burn holes in the back of his head. They came to a stop once they were in a more private corridor and Keith felt at ease having Shiro's attention on him again, despite his uncertainty about their 'deal,' whatever it was.

On the other hand, Shiro was suddenly very restless, shifting from foot to foot before he finally blurted, "We kissed. Um. For the first time. Today."

"... I remember," Keith said. Shiro, for his part, was starting to blush. It made Keith smile, seeing the more awkward, inexperienced side of him. Proof that he was still the same Shiro that Keith loved back on Earth. The same Shiro that Keith knew he'd find again one day, even if the rest of the world tried to insist he was lost.

"That wasn't how I pictured it happening. Not that I'm disappointed! It was clever, quick thinking on your part and... nice!" He sighed, covering his eyes with his hand and sounding mortified. "I was never very good at this. I took too long before, and now, after everything—"

"Doesn't bother me," Keith said quickly, not wanting Shiro to feel guilt for his lost year, and with that same surge of courage he had on their mission, he pushed upwards on his toes to kiss Shiro's cheek. When he started to pull back, Shiro's hand gently caught his chin and kept him close. "None of it does," Keith added seriously. Shiro's eyes searched his face, then very slowly, he leaned down and kissed Keith again, satisfied with what he'd found.

"I've been informed," Shiro began, sounding sheepish after they broke apart, "that we have all the subtlety of an elephant on Galran steroids."

Keith shrugged. "Apparently we have a 'deal' and it involves being marshmallows."

Shiro raised an eyebrow, taking a moment to try and decipher what that meant.

"That sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me," he said, grinning at his own bad joke. Keith smiled back and had to agree.


End file.
